Wedding Cake
I’m definitely a wedding cake person. Before I lose you because there’s nothing special about wedding cakes, wedding cakes should be white cake with almond flavoring, filled with pineapple (most traditional), lemon or strawberry. I was rounding out my third decade of life when I found out wedding cake as I know it is a New Orleans thing.
Here’s the real real — I am not a cake baker. Read as, if I can make this recipe work, so can you. There’s a few of things you need to know before you think I’ve gone off the deep end — 1) have at least 2 ounces of almond extract on hand 2) you’ll have an insane amount of egg yolks left over — you can buy just egg whites, make lemon curd, make Italian garlic soup, or feed it to your dog (not all in in one day). If you throw away the yolks, you’ll hurt me 4) unless you’re a gourmet cake baker, you might find the mixing method odd — it’s called the reverse creaming method and leads to a more even (less dome) cake layer.
If you run into trouble (or want more details) with your buttercream, pause. Deep breath. Sally will help you because I can’t (she knows far more about Swiss buttercream than I ever will).
Almond White Cake Ingredients
5 egg whites
1 cup sour cream, divided
4 t almond extract
1/4 c cornstarch
2 c cake flour
3/4 c of all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
1 c unsalted butter, cut into small squares (about 1/3 T each)
Cake Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2, 9” round baking pans in parchment, coat in butter and dust in flour.
Whisk egg whites until foamy. Add 1/4 c sour cream and almond extract. Whisk until soft peaks. If you’re using a stand mixer, pour into a second bowl. If you’re using a hand mixer, get a new bowl.
In the empty bowl, add cornstarch, cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix on low until incorporated.
Add the butter and mix on slow until the flour mixture is all moist. Raise the speed to medium speed and add 3/4 c sour cream. Keep beating until the batter is aerated.
Put the mixer on medium low and add the egg mixture 1/3 at a time. If the batter seems really dense (it shouldn’t), beat on high for a few seconds.
Divide the batter between the two pans, smooth out the top and tap on the counter a few times (supposed to remove the air bubbles).
Bake 15 minutes. Turn the pans and bake until 15-20 minutes. The cake should have a slight color and toothpick should come out clean.
Allow to cool about 10 minutes, flip them out onto a cooling rack.
Pineapple Filling Ingredients
20 ounce can crushed pineapple
1/4 c granulated sugar
2 T cornstarch
Filling Directions
Mix the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer. Stir it every few minutes. When it thickens, add a small amount to a spoon, allow it to cool and hold the spoon vertically. If the mixture stays on the spoon, remove the pot from the heat. If not, keep simmering.
Almond Swiss Buttercream Ingredients
6 large egg whites
2 c granulated sugar
4 t almond extract
1/8 t salt
1 1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into 1/3 T pieces
Buttercream Directions
In a double boiler, add egg whites and sugar. Whisk constantly. It will be gloopy and then will thin. Whisk until temperature reaches 160.
Immediately put the mixture into a very clean bowl (wipe it with white vinegar after washing the bowl), and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks.
Allow the mixture to come to room temperature (cover with a wet paper towel). Switch to a paddle attachment and incorporate the salt and butter piece by piece. No worries if it’s lumpy, keep beating. Add 1 Tbl extract. Beat enough to incorporate the extract. Taste. Add additional extract if need in 1/4 tsp increments. Beat until the icing is fluffy and silky.
Cake Assembly
If you want a perfect flat top, take a long serrated knife (think bread knife) and slice off the dome. You shouldn’t have much of a dome because of the reverse creaming method we use.
Put one layer top-side down and put a thin layer of butter cream over the layer. Put some of the icing in a piping bag and pipe a border around the top ledge (not side) of the layer. Fill the interior of the border with the pineapple mixture. 1/2 of the mixture will give you enough filling in the cake, but use more and the pineapple shine.
Put the second layer of cake top side up on top of the pineapple mixture. Cover the layers in icing. I like to go as thin as possible while still getting full coverage. You should have extra icing.
Notes
Parchment paper: use aluminum foil
You can bake the layers up to two months in advance. Double wrap each layer in Saran wrap, double wrap in foil, slide into a gallon Ziploc and set it in the freezer.
If you don’t have a cooling rack, butter a large plate and use that.
Double Boiler: If you don’t have one, put a couple of inches of water in a sauce pan and put a bowl on top. The water should not touch the bowl.
Use the extra pineapple filling as a preserve. Mix it in plain yogurt, add it as a layer in a parfait, or slather it on a biscuit.
The icing isn’t quite as versatile as the pineapple filling. So go ahead and freeze it. When you’re ready to use it, give it a quick beating. You can use it as a filling for a sandwich cookie (make sure the cookies are soft), to ice cinnamon rolls, or ice a brioche bread (turns it into a dessert).
